Jones finished the regular season with 35 tackles (22 solo), including one sack, and one interception on six passes defended in 13 games.
Jones joined the Panthers last offseason after spending the first six years of his career with the division-rival Falcons. The veteran's production has dipped over the past couple campaigns, however, with his 2023 tackle total marking a career low. Jones will now return to the open market as an unrestricted free agent this offseason.
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Panthers' Deion Jones: Seven stops in loss
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Jones logged seven total tackles (four solo), including one tackle for loss and 1.0 sack in Sunday's 26-0 loss to the Jaguars.
The veteran inside linebacker saw his third start of the year in Week 17 and he made the most of his opportunity, tallying the most stops he's had in a game all season. Jones has primarily served as a rotational inside linebacker for Carolina, recording 31 total tackles and four pass deflections in 12 appearances. He'll look to end the Panthers' season on a more positive note in Week 18 against the Buccaneers.
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Panthers' Deion Jones: Finds new home
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Jones signed a one-year contract with Carolina on Monday, Adam Schefter of ESPN reports.
Jones spent the first seven seasons of his career in Atlanta before joining Cleveland for the 2022 campaign. The 28-year-old saw a decreased workload with the Browns due to a combination of a shoulder injury and a reduced role, leading to a career-low 44 tackles. He'll now have the opportunity to earn a more significant role in the Panthers' linebacker corps.
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Browns' Deion Jones: Logs nine stops in loss
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Jones finished Sunday's loss to Miami with nine tackles (three solo), including a half-sack.
Jones totaled 10 tackles in his first two games with Cleveland between Weeks 7 and 8, and he returned from the team's bye to nearly match that total with nine stops against Miami. The linebacker also paired with Greg Newsome on a second-quarter sack of wide receiver Cedrick Wilson, who looked to throw the ball on a designed passing play. Jones already has 1.5 sacks in three games this season after recording two in 16 contests with Atlanta last year.
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Browns' Deion Jones: Expected to play Week 7
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Jones (shoulder) will likely play Week 7 against the Ravens, Chris Easterling of the Akron Beacon Journal reports. "I think it is trending that way," Browns head coach Kevin Stefanski said. "He has done a nice job. Getting him more and more in practice."
Jones, who was acquired via trade from the Falcons on Oct. 9, was designated to return from injured reserve last week but did not play in Week 6's loss to New England. The former Pro Bowler is viewed as a piece that could help what has been a porous run defense thus far. His exact role in the linebacker rotation hasn't been made public, but initial speculation had Jones stepping in for the injured Anthony Walker (quadriceps) at middle linebacker, where Jacob Phillips has played every snap since Walker sustained his injury.
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Browns' Deion Jones: Dealt to Cleveland
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Jones (shoulder) and a 2024 seventh-round pick were traded from the Falcons to the Browns on Sunday in exchange for a 2024 sixth-round pick, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Jones had a setback with his offseason shoulder surgery during the preseason and was forced to begin the year on injured reserve, but he'll be eligible to return as soon as he's healthy. The 27-year-old spent the first six years of his career in Atlanta, and he racked up 137 tackles (87 solo), including two sacks, a forced fumble and six pass defenses over 16 games in 2021.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Placed on IR due to shoulder injury
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The Falcons placed Jones (shoulder) on injured reserve Thursday, Josh Kendall of The Athletic reports.
Jones underwent shoulder surgery in May and was sidelined for the majority of training camp, returning to play 13 defensive snaps in the team's preseason finale. However, he appears to have suffered a setback and will now be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season. He's set to make a team-high $20 million in 2022, and with the Falcons in the midst of a rebuild, it was speculated that Jones could possibly be traded this offseason, though it appears like the lingering shoulder issue has halted those talks for the time being. In his absence, expect Nick Kwiatkoski and Troy Andersen to be the primary backups to Mykal Walker and Rashaan Evans.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Headed to IR
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Jones (undisclosed) was placed on the Falcons' injured reserve Thursday, Tori McElhaney of the team's official site reports.
Jones was sidelined for all but one of Atlanta's games this preseason while recovering from May shoulder surgery. Now, the linebacker will be forced to miss at least the first four games of the regular season while on the team's IR, though it's unclear if it's due to this same injury. With Jones sidelined to open the regular season, the Falcons also re-signed Nick Kwiatkoski to help bolster the team's corps of inside linebackers behind presumptive starters Mykal Walker and Rashaan Evans.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Suits up for first preseason game
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Jones (shoulder) played 13 defensive snaps in Atlanta's preseason finale Saturday.
Jones saw game action for the first time since undergoing shoulder surgery in May, albeit in a limited number of snaps. The 27-year-old linebacker recorded 137 tackles (11th most in the NFL) to go along with two sacks over 16 games last year, though he has been the center of trade speculation this offseason due to his team-high $20 million salary in 2022. Nevertheless, Jones' availability in the preseason is an encouraging sign for his health no matter what team he ultimately plays for this regular season.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Nearing return
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Jones (shoulder) said Thursday that he is "getting close" to coming off the Falcons' PUP list this preseason, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Jones was seen on Atlanta's practice field for the first time Thursday since landing on the team's PUP list at the opening of training camp, per Ledbetter. The 27-year-old, who is set to earn a team-high $20 million salary in 2022, underwent shoulder surgery in May, thus leaving Rashaan Evans and Mykal Walker to take over Atlanta's first-team reps at inside linebacker this offseason. Falcons head coach Arthur Smith also said, "we have him every day working," though he still refused to place a timeline on Jones' official return to the field heading into the regular season.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Will miss offseason due to surgery
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Jones underwent shoulder surgery and is expected to miss the entire offseason, D. Orlando Ledbetter of The Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports.
Jones is due a team-high $20.05 million in 2022, and there's rumors that Atlanta is planning on releasing or trading the linebacker this offseason in an attempt to expedite the rebuild process. However, regardless of where he ends up, his availability for the start of the year has quickly become the top story of his offseason.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Role with ATL isn't secured
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Jones isn't expected to start the season in Atlanta, Jeff Schultz of the Athletic reports.
Jones is due a team-high $20.05 million in 2022, and according to Schultz, the possibility he doesn't start the season with Atlanta is "almost certain." Cutting Jones before June 1 wouldn't save the Falcons any money, but if they cut him post-June 1, they'd save $1.07 million in 2022 and would have him off the books for 2023. However, trading the 2016 second-round pick appears to be the team's preference as long as the deal would transfer most of Jones' financial guarantees, but that appears to be a steep sell for an aging linebacker. Regardless, Jones finished his sixth season in the NFL with 137 tackles (one shy of his career high) and two sacks and could certainly provide a defensive boost to a playoff contender if he is indeed moved by Atlanta at some point in the future.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Double-digit tackes in win
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Jones had 10 tackles (eight solo) and one pass deflection during Sunday's 20-16 win over the Lions.
Jones notched his first double-digit tackle performance since Week 9. Through 14 games this season, the 27-year-old linebacker has totaled 123 tackles, six pass deflections, two sacks and one forced fumble. Jones remains a reliable option in most IDP formats and will have an interesting matchup with the Bills in Week 17.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Finishes with nine stops
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Jones had nine tackles (six solo) and two passes defensed during Sunday's 30-17 loss to Tampa Bay.
Jones missed last week with a shoulder injury and had only five tackles in each of his previous two contests, but he rebounded with solid production Sunday. The 27-year-old had 101 tackles (59 solo), two sacks and one forced fumble in 11 games, and he's poised to set his highest tackle total since posting 138 during 2017.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Double-digit tackes in two straight
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Jones registered 14 tackles (10 solo) and one forced fumble during Sunday's 19-13 loss to the Panthers.
Jones has recorded 29 tackles over his last two games and 72 tackles through the first seven contests of the season. The 26-year-old linebacker is on pace for a career year and remains a top-tier IDP option moving forward. He will look to continue his strong play against Alvin Kamara and the Saints in Week 9.
Jones registered 15 total tackles (11 solo), three tackles for loss and one sack during Sunday's 30-28 win over the Dolphins.
Sunday's performance marked the fourth time that Jones has posted double-digit tackles through the first seven games of the 2021 campaign. The 26-year-old linebacker has 58 tackles on the season and is on pace to surpass 100 tackles for the third straight year. Jones' tackling numbers offer a steady floor for fantasy managers, but his ceiling will grow if he can continue to get after the quarterback, which he may be asked to do more of with Dante Fowler (knee) on injured reserve.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Modest day vs. Jets
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Jones had five tackles (three solo) during Sunday's win over the Jets.
Jones has had double-digit stops in three of five appearances this season, but he didn't get much going during Sunday's overseas matchup against New York. The standout linebacker will enjoy a Week 6 bye, then travel to Miami for a matchup Oct. 24.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Gets to Brady
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Jones posted four tackles (two solo) and a sack in Sunday's 48-25 loss to the Buccaneers.
The Buccaneers pass a ton, so Jones' IDP upside was limited, but he made up for it with his first sack of the year. The LSU produce has posted at least 100 tackles in every season in which he played 15 or more games, so fantasy managers shouldn't panic after this bump in the road.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Closes out impressive 2020 campaign
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Jones, who registered four tackles during Sunday's 44-27 loss to the Buccaneers, ended the 2020 season with 106 tackles, nine tackles for loss, 10 QB hits, 4.5 sacks, two interceptions, a forced fumble, a fumble recovery and one defensive touchdown.
Jones notched a 67-yard pick-six off of Las Vegas' Derek Carr in Week 12. Otherwise, he largely struggled in coverage this season. The 2017 Pro Bowler surrendered a 74.1 percent completion rate and six touchdowns over 54 targets, a notable decline from the 58.5 completion percentage and four passing TDs he conceded in 16 games last season. Meanwhile, Jones was deployed more than ever in pass-rush, blitzing on 61 occasions after registering 41 combined blitzes in 22 appearances between 2018 and 2019. Results translated, as in 16 games, Jones exceeded his QB hits total from his first 53 career appearances between 2016 and 2019 (six). The linebacker is signed with Atlanta through 2023, carrying a cap hit of $12.6 million next season.
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Falcons' Deion Jones: Gets to Brady for Week 15 sack
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Jones registered a team-high 10 tackles, including one sack, during Sunday's 31-27 loss to the Buccaneers.
The LSU product registered two QB hits on Tom Brady, pushing his 2020 sack total to 4.5 with a second-quarter takedown of the Canton-bound signal-caller. That mark more than quadruples a previous career high in sacks for Jones, who has been deployed 50 times as a blitzer this season. In 22 starts between 2018 and 2019, Jones blitzed on a combined 41 occasions.
